Purple LTA Easy to Care for?

[FishAreFriends2]

Are they easy to keep?

 

[elegance coral]

If you can get a healthy one to begin with, and provide it with the right environment, they are easy to care for.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

Alright anything special I need to look out for when selecting one?
Or do I follow the basics
shut mouth
good dark colors?
And if I recall these burrow into the sand bed right? Unlike btas who attach to rocks?

 

[elegance coral]

You are correct, and don't blast them with to much flow, or they will take off. Once they are settled in, they will eat like pigs, and live under a wide range of lights. At least for a host anemone. They do seem to do better under brighter lights though.

 

[Toddrtrex]

And one thing to make sure you check for -- assuming that you are getting it at an LFS -- is that there isn't any damage and/or hole to/in the foot.

If there is, avoid it, the odds are that it won't make it.

Some pictures of the damage/hole that I am talking about.
( white spot in the center)

 

[FishAreFriends2]

wow thanks for the pictures, so if a lta has a hole at the base would it act any different than a normal anemone? like still eat and still stick sand, doing normal activity or would it just float around.?

 

[Toddrtrex]

Early on it will act normal, though it may not stay put. But as the condition gets worse you will be able to notice.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

ok thanks I will check closely to make sure I don't get one of those with the white spots.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Good thinking. I have yet to have one recover from coming in like that.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

so is that a disease? or did it get injured and is this found on all anemones or is it only for certain ones? Wanna make sure if I ever get a different one.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I personally have only noticed it with LTAs. Not sure, but I think it may be related to shipping stress. But, not all of them get it either.

Sure that isn't the concrete answer you were looking for, but I haven't be able to nail down a real pattern to why some get it and others don't.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

Ah I see. That is really interesting that its only on LTA's, so how often do you see ones with this white hole? And thats sad to know that the ones with the white holes don't make it. I am however curious how does the white hole kill the anemone, does it spread to a point where its guts would be coming out from the bottom?

 

[Toddrtrex]

IME, I have see it about 50% of the time.

I am not sure it if it a bacterial infection or not, but the hole will slowly get bigger, and then the anemone will start to waste away. I have had some live for a month like that, and they go down hill very fast.

I have found LTAs, to be fairly hardy and easy to keep if you get a healthy one to begin with.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

Wow I hope I can spot the hole, kind of scary now... Do the holes start out that small or do they come even smaller to the point where you don't notice it?

And have you ever gotten a lta that doesn't look like it has it but later developed it?

 

[Toddrtrex]

I wouldn't be too scared. The last couple that I have received came in fine. It is just something that you should be aware of.

I have never seen a hole smaller then the one I posted.

And no, I have never had an LTA get one later on down the line.

Still worth trying to find a new purple one. I love the colors that LTAs can come with.

These are my current ones -- can mainly see the fish.